Tuesday, July 5, 2016

The Immortal Crown by Kieth Merrill ~ Review

Title: The Immortal Crown (Saga of Kings #1)Author: Kieth MerrillGenre: Adult, FantasyLength: 544 PagesPublisher: Shadow MountainRelease Date: May 3, 2016Source: Amazon VineRating: 4 StarsReviewed by: JasmynA thousand years ago, the Navigator possessed thirteen stones touched by Oum’ilah, the God of gods. Over time, these power-ful stones of light were scattered and a prophecy arose declaring that a “child of no man” would gather them again, and he would be given immortality and reign forever as god and king of Kandelaar.

Now, in an age of chaos, the time has come for the prophecy to be fulfilled. Light and darkness have each chosen a champion to claim the legendary stones:The sorceress of the cult of she-dragon has chosen Drakkor, a warrior and mercenary who travels with bandits and a corrupt stone of darkness.

The Oracle of Oum’ilah has placed his faith in Ashar, a young postulant who is unsure the stones of light even exist.

Meanwhile, miles away, a slave named Ereon Qhuin dreams of freedom. Abandoned at birth, his only possession is a strange stone that he believes is the key to his destiny and freedom.

A mercenary, a postulant, and a slave—which one is truly the child of prophecy? Who will wear the immortal crown?

I love finding a good epic fantasy series to really dig into. The Immortal Crown has a lot of the elements I love to see. We start out with a prophecy - one that's changed over the years and over the miles. We even start with a hint of dragons.

Eventually we follow several potential prophecy fulfillers as they journey into new parts of their life - from adventure to first tastes of freedom to potential love. There are sooo many characters, but each story seems to entwine itself in the overall storyline in an easy and memorable way. I didn't once have a problem remembering who was doing what and where they were in the journey.

Some of the characters and lore were a little expected - the girl who prefers pants and is surprisingly good at swords, the ancient people who left a forgotten legacy, but it was done with just enough of a twist or with a little bit extra that it really made the characters stand out.

I would have liked a tad more excitement. There are a few great moments, but I feel like I missed a bit of the "sword" in the "sword & sorcery" book.

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